Iranian President Hassan Rouhani listens to welcome remarks during a session of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 23. / Michel Euler, AP

by David Callaway, USA TODAY

by David Callaway, USA TODAY

DAVOS, Switzerland - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani cracked many myths about himself and his intentions on his visit to Davos with media and business leaders. But nobody expected him to admit he doesn't tweet.

The darling of the geo-political Twittersphere, who shocked Washington last year when he tweeted he had just had a phone conversation with President Obama while leaving a visit to the United Nations in New York, Rouhani confirmed he isn't behind the tweets.

"No, I don't write my tweets," he told a private meeting Thursday of media leaders after his public address to the World Economic Forum. "They are written by my friends."

The admission came at the end of a 90-minute meeting in which he expounded on his public comments earlier in the day about his plans to grow Iran's economy into one of the world's largest in the next decade, and to peacefully pursue nuclear power.

Rouhani spoke firmly and excitedly, using his right hand, a silver ring on its pinky, to point and hit exclamations when he answered questions. His answers, all off the record, were long and disciplined, but he always got around to answering in the last sentence.

As the meeting wore down, a question was asked about why he tweets but doesn't allow the Iranian people to, which he didn't quite answer. A follow-up asked him if he, in fact, tweeted, and that's when the president hit the headline button. He was then asked if just that one answer could be on the record. He consulted with an aide, then shrugged and said, why not.

A fusillade of tweets was then fired to the Twittersphere and newsrooms around the world.

"A small breakthrough for free speech," said one journalist.

A moment later, Rouhani was surrounded by a phalanx of dark-jacketed security and whisked off. He had made his impressions. And busted another great social myth.